Wheat-separator



(No Model.)

G. E. D. BALDWIN.

WHEAT SEPARATOR.

110419.238. Patented Jan. 14,1890.

N. PETERS, Fhololdhographar. Wmhinglnn. D. C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE E. D. BALDIVIN, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT ANDMESNE ASSIGNMENTS, OF TIVO-THIRDS TO ARTHUR l3. CROPLEY AND AUSTIN HERR,OF \VASIIINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, AND CIIARLES IV. BALDIVIN', OFLAUREL, MARYLAND.

WH EAT-SEPARATO R.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 419,238, dated January14, 1890.

Application filed February 4, 1888. Serial No. 268,022. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern: through the bottom of the vessel a for thepur- Beit known thatI, GEORGE E. D. BALDWIN, pose of discharging thewater and wheat. of Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, have The bottomopening of the hopper remains invented certain Improvements iniVheatconstantly open during the operation of the 5 Separators, of whichthe-following is a speciapparatus. At its upper end the hopper isfication. of a diameter somewhat less than that of the The aim of myinvention is to speedily and vessel a and is joined to the latter by ananwholly separate the sound and heavy wheat nular perforated plate orscreen 0. A supfrom garlic, light wheat, and other like imply-pipe (Zdelivers water into the annular 1o purities, and this by a uniform andcontinuspace a surrounding the hopper. From this ous operation, withoutthe employment of space the water flows upward through the moving orpower-driven devices, and without perforated screen around the outsideof the Ge subjecting the wheat to a prolonged soaking hopper, which isconstantly filled therewith. or scouring action. An overflow-pipe e isconnected with one side 7 15 To this end my apparatus embraces as its ofthe vessel a above the hopper, and serves for essential elements ahopper having an overthe discharge of a portion of the waterbearflow-opening near the top and a constantlying the garlic and otherlight impurities on open discharge-throat at the bottom,co1nbi ned itssurface, the remaining portion of the wawith means for delivering intothe hopper a ter escaping with the wheat through the cen- 2o constantstream of water sufficient to maintral orifice at the bottom of thehopper. The

tain an overflow at the top in addition to the second separator a isarranged immediately constant discharge at the bottom and a conbelow thefirst and in position to receive the 7 ductor by which the grain isdelivered conwheat from its outlet f. It is, like the upper stantly intothe hopper from above, so that separator, provided with a water-inletpipe cl 2 5 the heavy grain will pass down rapidly and with thewater-overflow pipe e. A rethrough the water and escape therewith in aturning-pipe g is connected to the under side continuous stream at thebottom, where it is of the overflow-pipe of the upper separatormechanically separated from the water, while and leads thence downwardto the hopper of the garlic and light impurities escape with the lowerseparator for the purpose of deliv- 0 the overflow at the top of thehopper. ering to the latter the wheat which may I am aware that grainhas been delivered chance to be carried over by the water-curintovessels containing water, the light materent in which the pipe ends.

rials escaping through an overflow, while the A feed-spout h is arrangedin any suitable heavy grain precipitated to the bottom of the positionabove the upper separator to deliver 3 5 vessel was mechanically removedtherefrom. the wheat into its hopper. This spout should To suchconstructions I lay no claim. be so arranged and the grain shoulddescend Figure 1 is a perspective view of the sepafrom such height thatit will enter the seprator proper. Fig. 2 is a vertical centralsecarator with considerable velocity and thus be tion through thecomplete apparatus, includcertain to sink beneath the surface of the 40ing two of the separators, a conveyer, and a water.

drying mechanism. Fig. 3 is a plan view The water-supply pipes are eachprovided illustrating the form of the wheat-discharge with aregulating-valve (1 the overflow-pipes opening. provided withregulatingvalves c and the Referring to the drawings, A and Arepdischarge openings or throats of the hoppers 45 resent the separator,which consists of a cyprovided with regulating-valves f. It is to.

lindrical water-tight vessel a, containing a be understood that thesevalves are to be central conical hopper Z). At its lower end used duringthe operationof the apparatus the hopper is joined closely to and openssolely as a means of regulating the size of the outlet openings orthroats, and not as a means of closing said openings.

Below the outlet f of the lower separator I arrange on suitablesupporting-rolls B, or otherwise, an endless traveling apron C, drivenfrom any suitable motor. This apron, which may be arranged in aninclined or a horizontal position, as preferred, serves to convey thegrain to the upper end of a vertical drying trunk or chamber D,containing a series of reversely-inclined shelves 71, over which thegrain descends in a zigzag course.

A steam-coil E or other equivalent apparatus serves to heat the air andinsure the rapid drying of the grain as it-descends. If desired, ablower F of any suitable form may be arranged to maintain a blast of airin an upward direction through the trunk. In place of this dryingapparatus, which is not separately claimed, a drying apparatus of anyordinary or approved form may be employed.

I prefer to construct the conveyer-apron C of wire-gauze or otherpervious material, that the water may the more readily escape from thegrain; but if placed in an inclined position, so that the water willfall from its lower end or edge, it may be made of impervious material.

In place of the endless apron, a conveyer of any other ordinary typewhich will permit the escape of the water from the grain may beemployed-such, for example, as the familiar conveyer-screw arranged in atrough.

In operating my apparatus water is constantly delivered through theconductor-pipes (1 into the chambers a of the separator in such quantitythat its surface will at all times stand slightly above the upper endsof the hoppers b. The grain, being supplied in an uninterrupted streamthrough the spout h, descends forcibly into the water. The wheatberries,by reason of their gravity,sink through the water and escape through theconstantlyopen throat f, together with a portion of the water, while thegarlic floats upon the surface of and is carried with the overflowingwater through the pipe E. The grain discharged from the upper separatorfalls into the second or lower separator, and, being treated as before,is finally delivered upon the conveyerapron C, whence it is deliveredinto the drier, from which it emerges thoroughly dried and in propercondition to be immediately used or to be stored without danger of itsheating. Those grains of wheat, if any, which may pass into theoverflow-pipe e will enter the return-pipe g and be delivered therebyinto the lower separator. It is to be understood that the lowerseparator may be omitted and the grain delivered directly from the firstseparator to the conveyer. The second separator is necessary only in thetreatment of wheat in which light berries constitute a considerableproportion of the grain.

Vhile my apparatus is intended primarily for the removal of garlic, italso serves incidentally to remove much of the dirt adhering to theberries and 'also to carry off the chait and other light impurities.

In practice I prefer to construct the orifice f of an elliptical form inits horizontal section, as shown in Fig. 3; but this is not a necessaryfeature of my construction.

It will be perceived that the essence of my invention resides in thecombination of a receiving-vessel having top and bottom outlets for thedelivery of the garlic and the wheat, respectively, with means forconstantly supplying this vessel with water, and with means forconstantly delivering the wheat into the water; and it will be manifestto the skilled mechanic that these elements may be variously modified asto the form and arrangement without departing from the limits of theinvention.

It will be observed that in my apparatus the hopper has apermanently-open outlet at the bottom, that it receives a constantsupply of water suitably graduated with reference to the supply of grainand the size of the discharge-openings, and that the heavy grain isconstantly supplied and flows in an unceasing stream with the waterthrough the bottom opening, after which 'it is arrested and the waterpermitted to escape. It will be perceived that in this manner I amenabled to carry on a continuous V and uniform separation without theemployment of elevators, agitators, or other moving parts to handle thegrain and without subjecting the grain to either prolonged soaking orrubbing, both of which are very objectionable.

In my apparatus the escaping heavy grain assists in choking orobstructing the outlet, so as to retard the flow of water, and thus I amenabled to employ a large outlet and secure a free delivery of the grainwithout using an excessive quantity of water.

What I claim as my invention is- 1. In an apparatus for separating wheatfrom garlic, &c., a hopper having an overflow near the top and aconstantly-open outlet of suitably-restricted size at the bottom, a pipethrough which water is constantly delivered to the hopper to maintain anoverflow, and a spout through which grain is constantly delivered to thehopper from above, whereby the heavy grain and water are caused to flowthrough the hopper in an unceasing stream and the light mattersseparated and floated away at the top.

2. In a wheat and garlic separator, an open hopper having an overflownear the top for the escape of garlic and water and a constantly-openbottom outlet for the heavy grain and water, a pipe through which wateris constantly supplied to maintain the bottom discharge and theoverflow, means for constantly delivering grain to the hopper, and areceiver beneath the bottom opening to retain the grain and allow thewater to flow therefrom.

3. The vessel A, provided with a water- .supply pipe (Z, the hopperseated within the vessel and opening through its bottom, the perforatedplate encircling the upper edge of the hopper that the water may flowthrough the outer vessel into the top of the hopper, the overflow abovesaid plate, and the grainspout delivering into the hopper from above,said elements combined substantially as described and shown, whereby theheavy grain and Water may be delivered in a continuous stream downwardthrough the hopper, while the garlic and other light impurities arefloated away at the top through the overflow, subject to the retardingeffect of the water flowing inward over the top of the hopper.

4. The hopper having the bottom outletand top overflow, in combinationwith the watersupply to the top of the hopper, the wheatspout deliveringto the top of the hopper, the conveyer arranged below the bottom outletto receive the water and wheat and effect their separation, and thedrier to which the conveyer delivers.

In testimony whereof I hereunto set my hand, this 28th day of January,1888, in the presence of two attesting witnesses.

GEORGE E. D. BALDXVIN.

\Vitnesses:

J NO. T. MADDoX, ALEX. SLAYSMAN,

